The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-09-29
IS TOM VOOLFOLK GUILTY?
Doubts Raised as to the Real Author of the
Dreadful Murder Near Macon.
(From the Now York TimesD


Dreadful Murder Near Macon.
tFrom the New York TimesJ
Tom Voolfolk, now in tho Atlant
jail, charged with the murder of tho nin
mem oers OF his family, may not b.
guilty after all. There have boon rumor
ever since tho tragedy that others than
dom were concerned in it. Franl
Walker. Woolfolk's attorney, disgui9cc
as painter, visited the scene of tao
murder and gained information which
made 1t certain to him that a negro was
guilty Of tho crimo.
To-day's Constitution contained -
special from Canton stating that Jaal;
pebose, a negro Of suspicious looks and
demeonor, had been arrested by w. 4.
Kitchen, Sheriff Of Cherokee county,
and was held us IN escaped convict,
While confined in Jail the negro said
enough to walraut the sheriff in notify.
ing Colonel Walker tina he was Of tie
oplnlon that the negro was concerned u,
tne Wooltolk tragedy. This evening
Coloncl Walker went up, had talk Will,
tho prisoner, and now Expresses hirnRcli
as feeling perfectly satisfied that the
negro IS the real murderer of the Wool.
1olk family, or, rather, that he was con.
cerned IN tho wholesale killing.
Ihe names Of three other negroes hc
also obtained in conversation with tl,r
prisoner. The negro admitted knowing
who did the murders and promised tG
tell Colonel Walker if he would promise
to help him out. This Colonel Walker
could not promise outright, but he final
ly succeeded in inducing the negro to tell
him who the thrco others were who woro
associated with him in tho killjnr.
These names agreed perfectly with those
previously learned by him from other
sources.
Colonel Walker feels confident that
inc inc aa6G&Gro a6&Gr is tho party who did tho kill
yond don{,t 70 prove oso facts be-
nonro on.t lt. luouot. Certain thai this
bcs;doa lT hiiows Wo", enough to il ,ate 9th, 70
of @ ,e'' tls ''ut7>ooiiffolk IN family, W hcr no i'm.
plicates himself or clears M Voolfolk
or not. At least this is Colonel Walkers
honest opinion.
Tho negro is an escaped convict. 1t
is sold he was sent to the chain gang SUr
an axe from Voolfolk. At the
time he sworc vengeance upon Che
Voolfolk family. Colonel Walker thinks
the fellow got it by killing the family
while the others were robbIug the house.
He escaped from the chain gang several
days before tho killing and was i'll the
Of the Voolfolk place at
tho timc of tho killing, but has not been
there since. Colonel Walker has stOutlr
dcnicd Tom Woolfolk's guilt ull the
time.
Ar tHrA, GA, Septembcr2 2l.-A story,
hidco - III itS details, is told by Jack
DcbUs2, the coiorCd mali hnld in Caution
jail for the murder OF the NootUlk
family.
DoSosu o~yo thot Coy,tnin Wooifolk
had ill-treated him, and he determined
upon revenge. He took into his con-
tidenco three confcderatcs, and about
o'clock Oh lilo morning Of the murder
the four stood at the front gate leading
to the house. The front door was open,
and they mado their way into tho hall,
except Dcboso. who stood on the out
Voolfolk told that the body work within
had begun. a blow was struck at Mrs.
Voolfolk, which missed her and killed
the baby. Ono of the men cut down
Richard and Charley Voolfolk as they
rushed in. Another engaged Miss Pearl,
who was attracted by the screams Of tho
fathers room. She fought him like Il
iSlSoOj OStNuN lIiliSn lilo i''SSJ ihNt III tiS
desperate struggle she was considerably
bruised before she was killed.
The third murderer had meanwhile
entered the room occupied by Mrs.
West. There he found Annie Voolfolk
i'll the act Of escaping through the win
dow, when a blow in the back Of her
head crushed her skull. Two moro
blows dispatched Mrs. West and the
Rosebud. While this bloody work WAS
i'll progress Tom Voolfolk Jumped ont
Of the front window and ran like deer
down the pathway and spread tho alarm.
"He brushed against me aa II" rnn, "
says Doboso, "but was so excited he did
not notice me-" The four men then
searched the house for the money, wmch
they failed to find, They then quietly
separated, each promising to take care
of himself. For two days Dcbosc re-
maincd hidden in the swamp, his mother
taking his meals to him. On the third
night he escaped the county and has no.
been there since.